Talavera is the term used to when describing the recreation of beautiful art that extends from Spaniards and the people of China. The specific village that some of the world's most beautiful pottery and ceramics come from is Talavera de la Reina. The artists from Spain are known to be some of the best possessing true skills in creating beautiful pieces of art; most of those skills being passed down from their ancestors for centuries.
Talavera pottery is a form of Majolica. Mojolica is any handmade pottery, paintings, and other ceramics and arts created by the earth's materials. The process of creating Mojolica journeys from Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia, and according to Mexican Connexion, "was further refined in China." When Spanish artisans entered Mexico in the 16th century, they introduced this art to the people of Mexico; who later and as of now take pride in creating this type of art. Their art expands from a combination of different cultures, the Chinese, Spanish, Moors and Egyptians.
Talavera pottery is made from blending clays together with water to soften the clay. This process also thins the clay making it more accessible to work with. When sculpting the clay, the artist can create the form by hand sculpting, molds, or a potter's wheel. When the shape of the pottery is complete, the artist will then leave the clay out to dry for about eight to twelve weeks, approximately two to three months. This process also goes through two sets of burning, which is the baking of the clay to obtain durability. This first bake will change the clay colored piece to a reddish orange color known as "jahuete", and then painted and decorated. After the painting and decorating is dry, the piece will be baked (also known as fired) once again, finishing the final piece of art.
Many people consider Puebla the home of Mexican Talavera because of the first regulations and standards for determining uniformity and excellence of the traditional Mexican Talavera. These locations that see the regulations are met are called "fabricas", and have only a few left in Mexico. The "certified fabrica" in Puebla, is known as Uriarte Talavera, which was founded by Sr. Don Dimas Uriarte in 1824.
The Talavera-style ceramics from Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato do not meet the precise standards of the authentic Talvera workshops in Puebla, but are nonetheless considered attractive and one of the representative Mexican handicrafts.
The city is internationally known for its ceramics, which Phillip II of Spain used as tiled revetments in many of his works, such as the monastery of El Escorial. The nickname of Talavera de la Reina is 'The City of Pottery' (La Ciudad de la Cer ¡mica, in Spanish).
